--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Little by little he'd change; he'd get…" description: "\"“Little by little he'd change; he'd get older; everything he felt now would fade into memory and then into nothing.”\" — Jeffrey Eugenides" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/767/jeffrey-eugenides-462_change_little-by-little-he-d-change-he-d-get-ol_1633930.png" --- # Little by little he'd change; he'd get older; everything… ![“Little by little he'd change; he'd get older; everything he felt now would fade into memory and then into nothing.” quote by Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/767/jeffrey-eugenides-462_change_little-by-little-he-d-change-he-d-get-ol_1633930.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/767/jeffrey-eugenides-462_change_little-by-little-he-d-change-he-d-get-ol_1633930.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/767/jeffrey-eugenides-462_change_little-by-little-he-d-change-he-d-get-ol_1633930.png) > ““Little by little he'd change; he'd get older; everything he felt now would fade into memory and then into nothing.”” [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Gradual change erases memories, leaving nothing behind. **In simple terms:** Time fades all experiences. Key Takeaway Embrace impermanence. Themes memory change impermanence aging Mood nostalgic thoughtful Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - elderly care - personal reflection - creative writing - therapy sessions Key Concepts psychology of memory philosophy of self Questions to Reflect On - What memories define you? - How do you preserve meaningful moments? A Different Perspective Some memories may persist despite time. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Change Older](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change-older-507644/) [Fade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fade/) [Fade Memory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fade-memory-507646/) [Little by little](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/little-by-little/) [Little Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/little-change/) ## Related quotes > [You cannot expect miracles to happen overnight, be patient, be loving and little by little the change you seek will come.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-cannot-expect-miracles-to-happen-overnight-be-patient-be-loving/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“We do not start any change. We are part of it. Something older than us had triggered change.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/we-do-not-start-any-change-we-are-part-of-it-something-older-than-us/) [Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/) > [I've seen that most people change as they get older.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilberto-hernandez-guerrero/i-ve-seen-that-most-people-change-as-they-get-older/) [Gilberto Hernandez Guerrero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilberto-hernandez-guerrero/) > [I think that just your tastes change as you get older and I think they'll continue to change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-hartnett/i-think-that-just-your-tastes-change-as-you-get-older-and-i-think/) [Josh Hartnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-hartnett/) > [I'm not a really super-political type of person, and that might change as I get older.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tash-sultana/i-m-not-a-really-super-political-type-of-person-and-that-might-change/) [Tash Sultana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tash-sultana/) > [“people change as they get older…grow wiser, make better decisions...i am very old,Laurel. Anyone who lives as long as I have can't help but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-morton/people-change-as-they-get-older-grow-wiser-make-better-decisions-i-am/) [Kate Morton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-morton/) > [“We all make mistakes. Unfortunately, that seems to be one thing that doesn't change, even as you get older. I guess that’s what life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-j-lawless/we-all-make-mistakes-unfortunately-that-seems-to-be-one-thing-that/) [M.J. Lawless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-j-lawless/) > [I'm still disturbed if a chord isn't together, but your priorities change as you get older.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esa-pekka-salonen/i-m-still-disturbed-if-a-chord-isn-t-together-but-your-priorities/) [Esa-Pekka Salonen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esa-pekka-salonen/) > [“People change when they get older. They get more . . . cautious. They’ve been hit harder and more often. It doesn’t mean they’re stupid or timid—Mom”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-m-stirling-2/people-change-when-they-get-older-they-get-more-cautious-they-ve-been/) [S. M. Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-m-stirling-2/) > [Your priorities change when you get older.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sami-zayn/your-priorities-change-when-you-get-older/) [Sami Zayn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sami-zayn/) > [“Well, you change as you get older, especially at this time in your life. You become more yourself, hopefully. And sometimes that changes the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emery-lord/well-you-change-as-you-get-older-especially-at-this-time-in-your-life/) [Emery Lord](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emery-lord/) > [“We don't change as we get older - we just get to be ore of what we've always been.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-d-chittister/we-don-t-change-as-we-get-older-we-just-get-to-be-ore-of-what-we-ve/) [Joan D. Chittister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-d-chittister/) > [We don't change as we get older - we just get to be more of what we've always been.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-d-chittister/we-don-t-change-as-we-get-older-we-just-get-to-be-more-of-what-we-ve/) [Joan D. Chittister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-d-chittister/) > [Changes in human conditions are brought about by the pioneering of the cleverest and most energetic men. They take the lead and the rest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/changes-in-human-conditions-are-brought-about-by-the-pioneering-of/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [Your life is made up of little moments, little efforts, little changes, big smiles, and all your hopes and dreams. Don't think any problem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/your-life-is-made-up-of-little-moments-little-efforts-little-changes/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) ## More by Jeffrey Eugenides > [“Only the Lisbon house remained dark, a tunnel, an emptiness, past our smoke and flames.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/only-the-lisbon-house-remained-dark-a-tunnel-an-emptiness-past-our/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [“She had just started living like a grown-up and she'd never felt more vulnerable, frightened or confused in her life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/she-had-just-started-living-like-a-grown-up-and-she-d-never-felt-more/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [It's often said that a traumatic experience early in life marks a person forever, pulls her out of line, saying, "Stay there. Don't move.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/it-s-often-said-that-a-traumatic-experience-early-in-life-marks-a/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [“Adolescents tend to seek love where they can find it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/adolescents-tend-to-seek-love-where-they-can-find-it/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [“The window was still open,” Mr Lisbon said. “I don’t think we’d ever remembered to shut it. It was all clear to me. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/the-window-was-still-open-mr-lisbon-said-i-don-t-think-we-d-ever/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [I was aware that you weren't supposed to write about suburbia, that it was undignified in some way, the subject matter not momentous enough.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/i-was-aware-that-you-weren-t-supposed-to-write-about-suburbia-that-it/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [“Dr. Armonson stitched up her wrist wounds. Within five minutes of the transfusion he declared her out of danger. Chucking her under the chin,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/dr-armonson-stitched-up-her-wrist-wounds-within-five-minutes-of-the/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [“I don't approve of women driving, mind you. And now they get to vote!" He grumbled to himself. "Remember that play we saw ("The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/i-don-t-approve-of-women-driving-mind-you-and-now-they-get-to-vote-he/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [“Her face was calm, but inside she was tense.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/her-face-was-calm-but-inside-she-was-tense/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [I know that attaching memories to books may be going out of the world, but while it lasts, it's a strong record of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/i-know-that-attaching-memories-to-books-may-be-going-out-of-the-world/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [I spend most of every day writing. I like to write every day if I can. I don't start extremely early.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/i-spend-most-of-every-day-writing-i-like-to-write-every-day-if-i-can/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [Maybe the best proof that the language is patriarchal is that it oversimplifies feeling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/maybe-the-best-proof-that-the-language-is-patriarchal-is-that-it/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [We knew that Cecilia had killed herself because she was a misfit, because the beyond called to her, and we knew that her sisters,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/we-knew-that-cecilia-had-killed-herself-because-she-was-a-misfit/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [You can tell when something's not moving forward anymore. When the doubts you have about it don't go away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/you-can-tell-when-something-s-not-moving-forward-anymore-when-the/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [Normality wasn't normal. It couldn't be. If normality were normal, everybody could leave it alone. They could sit back and let normality manifest itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/normality-wasn-t-normal-it-couldn-t-be-if-normality-were-normal/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) [Explore all 516 Jeffrey Eugenides quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) ## More Change quotes > [Only within yourself exists the other reality for which you long. I can give you nothing that has not already its being within yourself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/only-within-yourself-exists-the-other-reality-for-which-you-long-i/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [“…progress isn't necessarily about change but about things turning out as we want them to”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-hogan/progress-isn-t-necessarily-about-change-but-about-things-turning-out/) [Phil Hogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-hogan/) > [Nobody can tell me that no changes are necessary in Washington.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-weld/nobody-can-tell-me-that-no-changes-are-necessary-in-washington/) [William Weld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-weld/) > [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [When you walk down the street of Kabul your values for life changes, they do change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-pierre-white/when-you-walk-down-the-street-of-kabul-your-values-for-life-changes/) [Marco Pierre White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-pierre-white/) > [Your world will change whether or not you choose to change, but you have the power to choose it's direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/your-world-will-change-whether-or-not-you-choose-to-change-but-you/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [I hope I continue to evolve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-flair/i-hope-i-continue-to-evolve/) [Charlotte Flair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-flair/) > [“Stay focused on bringing people together and more on positive messaging so that you can be the change you wish to see in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/stay-focused-on-bringing-people-together-and-more-on-positive/) [Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [“After the funeral, my life changed. I felt as if time were suddenly precious, water going down an open drain, and I could not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/after-the-funeral-my-life-changed-i-felt-as-if-time-were-suddenly/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [You practice mindfulness, on the one hand, to be calm and peaceful. On the other hand, as you practice mindfulness and live a life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-practice-mindfulness-on-the-one-hand-to-be-calm-and-peaceful-on/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Irish research will contribute to global progress and have the potential to help all countries realise the potential of their land sectors in addressing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enda-kenny/irish-research-will-contribute-to-global-progress-and-have-the/) [Enda Kenny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enda-kenny/) > [No man can change himself into anything from sheer reason; he can only change into what he potentially is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/no-man-can-change-himself-into-anything-from-sheer-reason-he-can-only/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) [Browse all 33,920 Change quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Little by little he'd change; he'd get older; everything he felt now would fade into memory and then into nothing.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jeffrey Eugenides" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/little-by-little-he-d-change-he-d-get-older-everything-he-felt-now/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Change" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/little-by-little-he-d-change-he-d-get-older-everything-he-felt-now/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/767/jeffrey-eugenides-462_change_little-by-little-he-d-change-he-d-get-ol_1633930.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/767/jeffrey-eugenides-462_change_little-by-little-he-d-change-he-d-get-ol_1633930.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/767/jeffrey-eugenides-462_change_little-by-little-he-d-change-he-d-get-ol_1633930.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Little by little he'd change; he'd get older; everything he felt now would fade into memory and then into…” — Jeffrey Eugenides", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Jeffrey Eugenides", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Little by little he'd change; he'd...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/little-by-little-he-d-change-he-d-get-older-everything-he-felt-now/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/little-by-little-he-d-change-he-d-get-older-everything-he-felt-now/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```